Quran 13:14 — Ar-Ra'd, verse 14
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
The only true prayer is to Him: those they pray to besides Him give them no answer any more than water reaches the mouth of someone who simply stretches out his hands for it- it cannot do so: the prayers of the disbelievers are all in vain.
لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُونَ لَهُمْ بِشَيْءٍ إِلَّا كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَالِغِهِ ۚ وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ
lahu daʿwatu l-ḥaqi wa-alladhīna yadʿūna min dūnihi lā yastajībūna lahum bishayin illā kabāsiṭi kaffayhi ilā l-māi liyablugha fāhu wamā huwa bibālighihi wamā duʿāu l-kāfirīna illā fī ḍalālin
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- To Him is the call of truth; and those upon whom they call, apart from Him, answer them nothing, but it is as a man who stretches out his hands to water that it may reach his mouth, and it reaches it not. The prayer of the unbelievers goes only astray.
- Muhammad Asad
- Unto Him [alone] is due all prayer aiming at the Ultimate Truth, since those [other beings or powers] whom men invoke instead of God cannot respond to them in any way - [so that he who invokes them is] but like one who stretches his open hands towards water, [hoping] that it will reach his mouth, the while it never reaches him. Hence, the prayer of those who deny the truth amounts to no more than losing oneself in grievous error.
- Sahih International
- To Him [alone] is the supplication of truth. And those they call upon besides Him do not respond to them with a thing, except as one who stretches his hands toward water [from afar, calling it] to reach his mouth, but it will not reach it [thus]. And the supplication of the disbelievers is not but in error [i.e., futility].
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | لَهُۥlahu | To Him | — |
| 2 | دَعْوَةُdaʿwatu | (is) supplication | دعو |
| 3 | ٱلْحَقِّ ۖl-ḥaqi | (of) the truth | حقق |
| 4 | وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīna | And those whom | — |
| 5 | يَدْعُونَyadʿūna | they invoke | دعو |
| 6 | مِنmin | besides Him | — |
| 7 | دُونِهِۦdūnihi | besides Him | دون |
| 8 | لَاlā | not | — |
| 9 | يَسْتَجِيبُونَyastajībūna | they respond | جوب |
| 10 | لَهُمlahum | to them | — |
| 11 | بِشَىْءٍbishayin | with a thing | شيأ |
| 12 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 13 | كَبَـٰسِطِkabāsiṭi | like one who stretches | بسط |
| 14 | كَفَّيْهِkaffayhi | his hands | كفف |
| 15 | إِلَىilā | towards | — |
| 16 | ٱلْمَآءِl-māi | water | موه |
| 17 | لِيَبْلُغَliyablugha | to reach | بلغ |
| 18 | فَاهُfāhu | his mouth | فوه |
| 19 | وَمَاwamā | but not | — |
| 20 | هُوَhuwa | it | — |
| 21 | بِبَـٰلِغِهِۦ ۚbibālighihi | reaches it | بلغ |
| 22 | وَمَاwamā | And not | — |
| 23 | دُعَآءُduʿāu | (is) the supplication | دعو |
| 24 | ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَl-kāfirīna | (of) the disbelievers | كفر |
| 25 | إِلَّاillā | but | — |
| 26 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 27 | ضَلَـٰلٍۢḍalālin | error | ضلل |